Catamenial bandage



PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT T. vAN ALs'rYN, or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

CATAMENIAL BANDAGE.

Specification of Ressued Letters Patent. Reissued' Jilv 20,192@ OriginalNo. 1,175,090, dated March 14, 1916, Serial No. 859,939, iiled September3, 1914. vl-Ifeissue No. '14,722, dated September 9, 1919, Serial No;135,483, filed December 6, 1916.` `Ress1ie N0 14,330 dated v March 30,1920, Serial No. 342,564, filed December 4, .1919. This application forreissue filed .Tune

` is, 1920. seriai No. 389,485.

' My present invention relatesl to an im` provement in catamenialbandages or napkins and has for its object among others',

the provision of an economical duplex band-` age, one that is sanitary,easily laundried,y`

and readily adjustable to suit different anatomical requirements.

Another advantageof my device is that it contains no unsanitary pocketsor crevices in which excreta may lodge and therefore be i difficult ofcleansing.

Other advantages of my device are that it is reversible and owing to itssubstantially duplex or symmetrical form may be folded for use entirelyaccording to the caprice, comfort or physical requirements of thewearer.

Another object resides in providing a bandage which comprehends aplurality of identical parts forming a unit and any one of said partsmay be folded to form a relatively small but thick pad, the remainder ofthe article serving as an exterior wrapper for the pad and providingattaching ends. Y In the accompanying drawings: l

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bandage, showing the same foldedready for use.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the bandage opened out flat.

Fig. 2al is an end elevation of the bandag as opened out.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing one fold made in the bandage.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a second fold.

' Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a different type of fold.

` Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4lk showing another fold therein. l

Fig. 7 is a view showingindications of other methods of longitudinalfolding. y

In my present improvement, my duplex bandage is shown as beingsubstantially square or rectangular as in Fig. -2 and comprises a pairof fabric members, 1 and 2 and which members are arrranged together andheld 1n operable form by a line of stitching 3 which partially traversesthe transverse pends'entirely upon the length of the fabricv from whichthe bandage is made relatively to its width.' v

It is not necessary thatthe `sewing 3'be done near the central positionbut itmay be located to one' side thereof. asv indicated by the ldot anddash line 5 in Fig. 2Q Also, a plurality of lines of stitching might beemployed but-this last noted method of aflixing the bandages to oneanother would form unsanitary pockets between the lines of stitches andwould therefore make the bandage undesirable owing to such pockets beingdifficult to clean by means ofthe usual laundrying. n

In Fig. 3, there is shown the first step in Vfolding the bandage foruse, wherein the first lap 6 has been folded over along the edge 7, theentire length of the member 2 being diminished approximately one-third.

The unfolded portion Y'8 ofthe member 2 is then folded over until itsedges abut the folded edge 7 .of the lap Gvthereby formingsubstantiallya three-'ply thickness of fabric approximately centrallylocated, longitudinally, on the member 1, as indicated in Fig. 4. Thisthree-ply thickness, ofcourse, apm plies only to the overhanging end 9of the folded member 2 inasmuch aswhere the said folded member 2 isattached by sewing to the member 1, the thickness of the material isfour-ply owing to the addition of the fabric 1.

In Fig. 4 thereare shown three transverse dotted lines a, ZJ, 0, whichlines are for the purpose'of indicating the folding points of the fourlaps which form the bandage for use, as indicated in Figgl.`v First theend 9 is folded over on the dotted line a and then the members 1 and 2are folded together on the secondl dotted line b and then the articlesoV loo

is Yagain folded on Vthey dotted line c for vthereby forming an interiorabsorbent -portion P of twelve thicknesses or plies of fabric at themiddle Vor absorbent portion thereof and leaving only athickness ofthree plies/or laps of thematerial l at `the suspending -endsE, F vl,which ends there# .fore haveless fabric than the middle or absorbentportion thereof. Anl advantage fis ained in thisv regard, inasmuch asAthe ends are customarily the points of attachmentl for suspending orsecuring the bandage. during use and` owing to; the minimum amountoffabric left on said ends, -they do not form folding forms acompletebandage likethat described for Fig. 4. j

. In Figs. 3, 4, 5 vand 7, the middle absorbent member 2 has been shownas being so located that when folded, the points of attachment E. areapproximately the same in length. In Fig. 6 however, there isshownanother method of folding wherein one lap 10, is' extremely shortand the other lap 1l is greater, so that the edges l2 of the two foldsmeet at one side or the other lof the point of stitching 3. Thelongitudinal folding. of the napkin then ensues as described linconnectionV with Fig. 4 and the bandage formed by this last notedarrangement of fabric causes one,

of the ends E to be of greater` length than its opposite member therebytransferring or displacing the bulk of the absorbent portionv to'oneendy or the' other ofthe folded napkin, as desired.

In Fig. 7 there iS-'Shown maandag@ folded to a pointsimilar to thatdescribed inconnection withV Fig. 4, and thereare indicated fourlongitudinal ldottedflines, e, f, g, L, whichlinesv indicate the foldingedgesof five different laps .thereby making the bandage of a greater`number ofthicknesses 'of lmatei rial although it would'not be so wide abandage as that made possible bythe vrarrangement illustrated in F ig'.4..

A careful study of make it obvious that my device comprises twomembersfone of whichformsA substan-4 tially an inner absorbent member,and .the other member an outer envelop and securing means for the innermember. u

It is also obvious that the members form-v ing the bandage, beforefoldin may be rectangular pieces.v of' fabric sti lched in a thefdregoingmii certain relative position to one another by one or morerows of stitching and thereafter Vthe bandage proper is formed by aplurality .of longitudinal and transverse foldings.

Owing to the fact that my bandage is comprised of practically two likemembers either of which may bei folded in the mannerthat member 1 isfolded while the other isffolded in the manner of member 2, mymodification therefore becomesl a reversible contrivance, in which caseeither member may be used as the interiorly contained absorbent memberwhile v the other vforms the envelop or 4suspending means. Thisparticular feature has great utility inasmuchasmany ofthese .napkinswhen in use are pinned tol supporting `belts or like means, and .thisconstant pinning will' naturally tend to fray out the ends E. Therefore,the reversibility of the napkin. permits this abnormal Awear to bedistribntedover both members asth'ey are, from time to time, alternatelyused as an enveloping or supporting member.

It isobvious that my invention is capable o f util izati on` in bandagesof other forms than that described above, .hence I desire thevariousiiguresof the drawing and the foregoing. description to beunderstood as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of myinvention.

1.` duplex napkin formed of a pair of symmetrically: arranged pieces offabric, partially lapped with one another` and stitching through thecenter of the lapped portion thereof, either of said pieces adepte@ toform the inner absorbent portion and the otherof said. pieces formingthe envelop therefor. y. y 42. A duplex reversible napkin formed lofapair of symmetrically arranged piecesof fabric, partially lapped withonev another andfstitching through the center of the lapped portion'thereof,either of said symmetificaljmembers being. adapted, after .beingfolded, to form the inner absorbent member or the outer enveloptherefor.

3. duplex napkin comprising twofpieces of absorbent fabric offset fromone another and being connected together intermediateofthe offsetportion, either ofsaid pieces adapted to form the inner absorbentportion and the other of said pieces forming the eiivelop therefor.

. 4. A napkin composed of a pair of like pieces of fabric, one'partially lapped over the other, stitching Ithrough the/ center of thelapped portion to secure the two pieces of fabric together, one ofsidpieces bei ing folded over both lengthwise and sidewise into a short andnarrow package. to formthe absorbent member, and the other of s aidpieces bein'gfolded over only sidewfi'se to inclse said absprtient'mebe'r', while the ends of said enveloping piece form the at taohinmeans by which the bandage may be secure to the garment of thewearer.

5.. A duplex reversible bandage comprehending two connectedparts each ofsingle thicknessv and either of which may be folded a pluralityof timesto provide a relatively short but thick absorbent pad, said pad beingfolded Within the remaining part, Where.

by the folded bandage comprises the` pad inclosedl lin a containerformed of the remaining part vand providing relatively lthin attachingends.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and afixed my seal inthe presence 15 of two subscribino Witnesses. Y

Witnesses: n

`GEORGE W. GRAVES, n DANIEL D. LANGUTNirrr;`

ALBEQRT T. VAN ALSTYN.

